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Dear Park Friend,
Please enjoy these updates from around the Northeast.
Stonewall Ambassador for Change
We are excited to announce a new collaboration with Mark Segal, the celebrated author and advocate (and an original participant in the 1969 Stonewall uprising). Together, we’re working to ensure more people know the story of Stonewall and its impact on America today. Please watch our new video featuring Mark and our very own Timothy Leonard, as Mark shares how his experience at Stonewall made him a life-long advocate.
This partnership, made possible by a grant from the Zegar Family Foundation, will continue to draw visitors to the brand-new Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center as well as learn about this history through virtual online platforms. Mark will be working with NPCA for the next year as an "ambassador of change," helping us ensure that our national parks play a vital role in sharing a full, inclusive history of our nation.
We are grateful to the Zegar Family Foundation for their support in making this important collaboration possible. The Foundation has offered a challenge grant for a second year to support a permanent fellowship position dedicated to “Standing Up Stonewall National Monument.” To learn more, please donate as we seek to expand this important work. To do so, please contact Julie Hogan at [email protected].
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Acadia Disaster Relief Funding
In December of 2023, climate-fueled storms ravaged the coast of Maine, including Acadia National Park. Coastal flooding, fallen trees and high winds caused major damage to roads, bridges, trails, walkways and buildings in the park. Thanks to advocacy efforts from NPCA, Friends of Acadia, and the support of Maine’s Congressional Delegation, approximately $80 million in disaster relief funding was approved by Congress for storm damage recovery at the park. Repairs will take place throughout 2025 and will incorporate measures to make the park’s infrastructure more climate resilient.
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Young Leaders Council Lobby Day
In 2024, we launched an inaugural Northeast Young Leaders Council to engage the next generation in national park advocacy. In early February, council members from Maine, New York and New Jersey joined us in Washington, D.C., some for the first time, for meetings on Capitol Hill with members of the Northeast congressional delegation. We look forward to continuing to create opportunities for young park advocates to take action in DC and in their local communities.
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Webinar on National Park Priorities in the 119th Congress
On Wednesday, February 12 from 7 - 8:30 p.m., join NPCA and our government affairs experts, Chad Lord and Emily Douce, as we talk about national park priorities and opportunities in the Trump administration and the 119th Congress. Learn about how you can get involved at your park site or in your community to advocate for more funding for national parks. Register for the webinar here.
Please read our recent blog post on how the new administration’s actions will affect national parks for the latest information on the federal hiring freeze, NPS staff on probationary period lists and buyout offers.
Water Resources Development Act Will Improve Climate Resiliency for Gateway National Recreation Area
NPCA applauds Congress for passing the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). WRDA includes several projects in the Northeast that improve and protect our national parks from more frequent, severe weather and flooding. As an important federal agency for NPCA’s park protection work, WRDA authorizes the Army Corps’ to better prepare communities and coastal and river national parks for extreme weather, leading to improvements in park infrastructure and healthier waterways across the country. In the Northeast, NPCA worked with Congress to expand the New York and New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries plan to address all kinds of flooding and leverage ecosystem restoration to reduce risk for communities and enhance national parks like Gateway National Recreation Area and the Statue of Liberty.
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New National Monument in Maine Honoring Frances Perkins
On December 16, 2024, NPCA staff were at the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. to watch President Biden sign the proclamation establishing the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine! The site honors our country's first female Presidential cabinet secretary and the many social programs she championed including a 40-hour work week, social security, ending child labor and much more. NPCA led the campaign along with the nonprofit Frances Perkins Center. Thank you to all the NPCA members who signed our petition in support of the monument. With the addition of the Frances Perkins National Monument, there are now 13 national parks sites dedicated to the contributions of women.
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Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution
Events celebrating the 250th anniversary of America’s independence are happening this spring and continuing into 2026. Commonly referred to as the semi quincentennial, this anniversary will be a moment in time when the nation reflects on its past and puts eyes toward a better future. America250 is an opportunity for NPCA and the National Park System to broaden the story of our great nation at the 430+ park sites across the country. Join NPCA and be a part of this celebration.
Check out America 250 events in your area.
Thank you for supporting NPCA and our national parks.
Sincerely,
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Kristen Sykes
Northeast Regional Director
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